The Manipur incident is in focus, like the Nirbhaya or Kathua incident, mainly because of the attention it drew from traditional media and social media platforms. The upshot of the media coverage of the outrage is that women are not safe. It goes without saying that there are hundreds of such unreported incidents and many more are happening as we read these lines at home.
The 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder, commonly known as the Nirbhaya case, shook the entire nation. It still haunts many. In January 2018, an eight-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic community was allegedly abducted, gangraped, and murdered by six men, in what came to be known as the Kathua gang-rape case. Then there is the Unnao and Hathras gang-rape cases in between these. OMG! We have lost count!
It is so unfortunate that one after another atrocities against women keep happening in the country and nothing changes the system for the better. The situation is worse in the case of women from minority communities. Some of those accused in the Manipur case have been arrested. Is that the end of the story? People across the world have been trying to show solidarity with the victims and survivors.
How does it matter if the powers that be, with all the technological prowess at their disposal, fail to take concrete steps that can prevent such happenings in the future? Swati Maliwal, chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, says, “Diverting the attention does not break the ice. Coming up with statements like every other state in India has a similar situation as Manipur is disappointing. What was the National Commission for Women doing when they received a complaint? I met the people of Manipur finally and I cannot put in words what all they have been through. No-one has cared about visiting the families here.
I met the people in different relief camps and their plight is miserable.” When people do make efforts in that direction, they are first met with scrutiny and then snide observation. On the one hand, Maliwal went to Manipur ostensibly to meet the families and offer whatever help possible. On the other hand, she questioned those who did not visit them yet. To the opposition parties and trollers, her efforts looked more like propaganda.
With social media it becomes extremely convenient to express feelings even before an individual processes his own emotions. But it is better to do something than being in a denial phase.There are crimes in Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and all other states too. The people of Manipur believe that the other states should not hide their incompetency and complicity.
Shravan Patel Kanagandhula, Hyderabad-based lawyer, explains: “Women are worshipped in some places and in some places they are treated as slaves and that is evident from the crimes against women. First, you need to understand what a society with educated people and mature mindset look like. People don't know about certain parts of our country.
Their trauma is not mainstream as per some powerful people of our society. In order to repair something, one needs to know what exactly the problem is. While this would be a political matter, I would like to highlight the fact that our leaders must be informed and educated enough to see through things. If you don't know the basics of history then it is impossible to repair the damage. Pick any newspaper which is mainstream and see how much is written about Manipur. We wake up only after the crime and never do enough to prevent it from happening.
The Supreme Court said that they cannot give orders to send the Army to solve the matter over there as they never did that before. Shouldn’t we then conclude that it is a failure of the system? Several reports claim that one of the two survivors said that she saw four policemen sitting in the car and were actually observing the violence. “They did not do anything to help us,” the survivor, whose father and brother were killed in the mob attack, said.
Kanagandhula amplifies: “There was an incident in Tiz Hazari court where advocates in a dispute fought with each other and gunfight ensued, and the vice president of that bar council was also a participant in this fight. The person who needs to maintain the dignity participated and took side. So, I feel that the police officers in Manipur are biased and blind to the crime happening in the region. Again, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the matter and said that if the government does not take any action, we will! The duty of the Court is that if government fails to deliver their duty or misuses its power, then in court you can get order either directing the officials or to implement order of court. Directly court cannot interfere and take actions.”
The role of authorities
Constitutionally, every crime should be reported, and every woman who has faced violence of any form should get justice. Tackling violence against women: A study of state intervention measures (A comparative study of impact of new laws, crime rate and reporting rate, change in awareness level) published by Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India), states that the trends of reporting are influenced by various socio-cultural factors and the justice systems, and the attitude of the person associated with the justice system at various level.
“In India, the rate of unreported sexual violence is ‘far higher’ than statistics indicate. Historically, in many States, police responses to violence against women have been typified by uneven service delivery, underreporting by both police and victims, and victim dissatisfaction. In the eyes of victims, and society in general, police officers are one of the main sources of help available to victims in case of violence. Attitude of police is important in facilitating a sense of safety and comfort in women seeking justice-system support for protection,” says the report. Dr. Pushpesh Kumar, who teaches at the Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad,
explains: “These ethnic conflicts have never been taken seriously by the state and government. In a political scenario, where electoral politics take priority over substantive democracy, such problems will be recurring time and again. Governments always treat problems in north-east as a law and order issue. Also, conflict and discontent have been treated as ‘state of exception’ and special military provisions have been deployed. This has never helped addressing deeper malaise.”
The voice of Manipur
“Exasperated, the opposition party was waiting for the Prime Minister of the country to break his silence on the Manipur incident. For several days the opposition party protested in Parliament nudging the Prime Minister to speak up. He finally said that the law will take its strongest steps, with all its might. What happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven. But I ask: Does it solve everything? The fact that the government speaks only in the face of pressure from the opposition or reacts to social media outrage is indicative of the idea that how the citizens of the country are treated.
What if we didn’t have Twitter or Facebook? Why only an incident is deemed serious when it reaches social media platforms and above all else, what about the judicial system. I knew about the incident from day one and the local media like East Mojo and Imphal Times covered every bit of it. Having said that, the situation went out of control. The mainstream or national media did not even consider it an issue. The only thing that’s bothering people across the country is a violence against women which is one aspect of a larger problem.
The actual stories are heartbreaking. May be there is too much at stake for the political agenda; that’s why nobody is bothered for us. It is a pity that we woke up, to speak about women rights only after a barbaric video. It is only a small example of the human rights violation that has been happening in Manipur for the last 80 days! It also shows how the leaders of the country failed the people of Manipur. This is barbaric and it has no place in any civilised society,” says Felix Anthony, a priest at the Church of Manipur and journalist from East Mojo.
People from different walks of life took part in the Peace march for Manipur and continue to show solidarity with the community via social media platforms. “Manipur video has shaken everyone’s soul. It was humanity that was paraded, not the women,” wrote actor Sonu Sood. Similarly, Riteish Deshmukh, Renuka Sahane, Kiara Advani, and Urmila Matondkar amongst several other actors expressed their concern.
But the trauma of the women in Manipur cannot be expressed through adjectives. Celine is a teacher in a school of Manipur, and she speaks to us about the plight of women. “As I speak to you; I shiver, and chills are running down my spine. A woman is subject to such violence and the system fails to perform its duty. There’s a Church burning right in front of me as I am speaking. I feel choked due to the smoke. Honestly, there is no one around me and my fellow women here. All the police officers are the supporter of the Meiteis.”
While the recent incident is indeed a political matter that requires immediate intervention from the government, it is equally important to dig deep and not just recognise the cause but work on the root cause of the clashes. However, this incident exposes the state of women in Manipur region. A total of 63 cases of crime against women were registered by the Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) from January to September 2020.
As per a report by the Imphal Free Press, “In 2019, according to the data from MSWC, 12 domestic violence cases were filed in Manipur, while several cases go unreported in the state.” It is clear that women are not safe especially those who are illiterate are yet to open up about domestic violence. The fifth National Family Health Survey (2019-2020) indicates a rise in violence against women in domestic spaces as 35 per cent to 42.8 per cent in Manipur.
Krishna Chowlu, deputy director at the Botanical Survey of India, Itanagar, lived for five years in Manipur. She opines: “Whatever happened in Manipur is an alarm for us to wake up and see how it is not simply violence but human rights violations in the first place. The horrifying video surfacing on the internet is just the tip of the iceberg.
My stay in the region gave me a sense of insecurity. I have witnessed how women are treated within the four walls. The men are mostly alcoholic, and they beat the women inside the home. We need to understand that it is a deeper problem, and it begins with something as basic as mistreatment of fellow humans. People living in other parts of the country are totally unaware of the situation because the news never reach them and probably nobody cares to reach out.”
Internet block out
People are deprived of a social safety net in India. Globally, one in three women experiences either ‘intimate partner’ violence or ‘non-partner’ sexual violence. Those who do not have access to social media are bereft of support. They cannot voice their opinions and issues. Recently, a woman who was returning to her home after attending #ManipurViolence protest at Town Hall, Bangalore, allegedly faced sexual harassment from the driver. The woman who belong to a ‘privilege’ section of the society posted the screenshot of the WhatsApp chat.
Subsequently, Rapido bike driver was arrested for sending inappropriate messages to woman. While it certainly gives a sense of relief, the incident poses a larger question: as for those women who do not have the similar privilege or access to such platforms to voice their opinions, whom should they approach?
Internet connectivity is yet another factor which is time and again blocked for supposed peace in the affected region. Manipur has been under an internet shutdown since May 3. The internet shutdown has not just cut off the people from the rest of the world, but also affected their day-to-day lives. Russell is a college student hailing from Manipur. She shares, “I live in Delhi for my post-graduation studies, but since May 3 I have not been able to connect with my family back in Manipur. I cannot focus on my studies because the haunting visuals on the internet have killed my sleep.
In addition, internet block out make things worse as rumours spread throughout the affected region. People don’t have appropriate information and therefore, the chances of further clashes increase.”
Evidently, between 2016 and 2022, 60% of Internet shutdowns across the world took place in India. On June 14th, 2023, IFF and Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a Report titled “No Internet means no work, no pay, no food – Internet shutdowns deny access to basic rights in ‘Digital India’.The 82-page report finds that, “Internet shutdowns impair essential activities and adversely affect economic, social and cultural rights under Indian and international human rights law.
Indian authorities, in the name of maintaining public order, have ignored the Supreme Court orders setting out procedural safeguards to ensure that internet suspensions are lawful, necessary, proportionate, and limited in scope and territory. Decisions by central and state government authorities to disrupt internet access are often erratic and unlawful and are used for restricting protests and preventing cheating in examinations.”
